Serenade
by Eolo
Summary: Oneshot. Game based. The feelings behind the music.


_Disclaimer: The characters and situations of Galaxy Angel are the creation of and property of Kanan and Broccoli.They are used here without permission. This story may be freely distributed, but it should not be altered or used for profit._

**Serenade**

By Megami no Senshi Yami

* * *

**Transbaal**

**Year: 417**

Four years have passed since the end of the Second Great Val-Fasq War.

With the discover of the area know as ABSOLUTE, the bless of the White Moon has expanded to other dimensions, starting with the one know as NEUE.

A civilization relying on mystic arts rather than science and technology.

With the disband of the Moon Angel Troupe, a new team has been created to ensure the peace of the galaxy…

A young male stands in the Command Bridge of the battleship called "Elisor". Well-know for its feats under the command of the legendary hero Takuto Mayers.

His single eye locked on the infinity, as if he could see something that others can't. His face is silent and stoic almost to the point of emotionless.

With both arms crossed over his chest, he stands like an unshakable human pillar. Willing to face any kind of threat in order to protect the cause he believes to be right. Even if that means to sacrifice his life…

Yet that kind of sacrifice not always refers to the psychical body of one…

_"How long has it been…?"_

_"Funny…I still remember like if it was yesterday…"_

_"People always thinks that I'm older than I look…my teachers at the military academy always told me so…"_

_"I was quite praised back then…even when there was somebody better than me…"_

_"I'm not the kind of person that you'd call friendly or sociable…yet I'm not an hermit neither…"_

_"It's just that I don't feel myself in the need of establishing social relationships…"_

_"I should say that I don't like team works either. It's not that I don't recognize their potential, but I don't like failing to others. I prefer to deal with my mistakes by myself…"_

_"However, I can't go against the teacher's decisions, and that's how we met…"_

_"My first thought was: "God gives bread to those who don't have teeth"_

_"He was a better student than me, yet completely opposite. He was carefree and laid-back…but also very kind and sincere…"_

_"How did we became friends…? It's difficult to explain, but I never felt alone with him…even being so different, we could understand each other perfectly…"_

_"The day of the graduation, I was assigned to the Roum Central Patrol Fleet while he got assigned to the Creom Border Patrol Fleet…"_

_"This was the prize for my serious manners and the price for his carefree attitude…everybody got what they deserved…"_

_"I remember the expression of my teachers when I said that I was going to go with him as a first officer…heh…I think one of them fainted…"_

_"Why then? Well…I'm not a very emotive person you know…I'm not good with speeches…"_

_"You could say that this is my way of saying thank you…for being there…for being my friend…thank you for everything…"_

_---_

_"Who would have though that our lives were going to change so drastically in the blink of an eye?"_

_"Darkness appeared from the deepest corners of space and fire rained over the surface of Transbaal..."_

_"The exiled prince Eonia Transbaal came back and launched a Coup'd Etat in order to overthrow the government…"_

_"General Luft Weizen assigned us to his flagship, the Elisor, in hopes that our skills combined with our low profile would give us an advantage against the enemy…"_

_"To protect the true heir of the throne, Prince Shiva Transbaal, along with a team of elite pilots. The guardians of the White Moon: The Angel Troupe…"_

_"I must say that I was quite surprised back then…a team composed entirely of females…"_

_"Milfeulle Sakuraba: a pink haired girl with light blue eyes. Optimistic and cheerful. Pilot of the Angel Frame 001. Codename: Lucky Star."_

_"Ranpha Framboise: a blonde lady with brown eyes. Proud and a bit harsh but kind. Pilot of the Angel Frame 002. Codename: Kung-fu Fighter."_

_"Mint Blancmanche: a girl with short blue hair, yellow eyes and a pair of puppy ears. Calm and graceful. Pilot of the Angel Frame 003. Codename: Trickmaster."_

_"Forte Stollen: a woman with shoulder-length red hair and light blue eyes. Mature and experienced. Pilot of the Angel Frame 004. Codename: Happy Trigger."_

_"Vanilla H: a little girl with long green hair and ruby red eyes. Stoic and dutiful. Pilot of the Angel Frame 005. Codename: Harvester."_

_"The plan was to escort Prince Shiva to safety, regroup with the remaining forces and launch a counterattack…and so…our journey begun…"_

_---_

_"As the first officer, I was in charge of the daily duties of the Elisor while Takuto, as the commander, was in charge of strategy and battle tactics…yet he seemed more like slacking than other thing…"_

_"To be working all day long while your commander flirts with a group of girls sounds like something quite unfair. However, the truth was something else…"_

_"The Emblem Frames used by the Angel Troupe are different from others, they employ a special kind of technology. The Human Brain Artificial Brain Linking System or H.A.L.O. system for short."_

_"It was designed to increase the probability of obtaining energy from Chrono Strings. But it depended greatly on the pilot's emotional stability to operate, and so, Takuto had to treat the girls well, after all, he was the one who gave them orders in battle…"_

_"That doesn't sound very convincing right ? I know…sometimes I wish I was as strong as him…serious…but kind and relaxed at the same time."_

_"Takuto dislikes power positions because he believes that subordinates should be treated as friends and having a high rank only makes things more difficult…I dislike power trappings too…or to be more exactly, I don't care about my position…"_

_"I didn't joined the army to protect something intangible like the honor of the empire, no…I joined to protect the lives of people…even if Prince Shiva was an ordinary child, I would still fight with all my strength to protect him…"_

_"While Takuto's reputation improved with every victory, mine remained pretty much the same…the serious, uptight first officer who tends to be unaware of what happens around him…heh…"_

_"They should know that people who remain in silence can perceive their surroundings better…don't think that I'm not aware of Almo's feelings towards me…but somebody has to have a cold, rational mind if we want to survive, for balance is the key…"_

_"Besides…I wouldn't forgive myself if something happens to her or anybody else in this ship…it is my duty to ensure everybody's safety…even if it means to overwork myself or be treated as uptight…"_

_---_

_"The path was long and full of obstacles, but we made it."_

_"To celebrate our success and prepare for the counterattack, the army organized a dance p__arty at Satellite City Fargo in the orbit of Planet Roum…"_

_"I remember that Takuto told me he was invited by all the five Angels to the dance…heh…it was obvious that for them he was more than a commander, he was a friend…and perhaps more…"_

_"Who did he escort to the event? I don't know…I didn't went there_..._and I never asked."_

_"For me it was like giving the enemy an opportunity to strike and, in the tamest of cases, a waste of time…"_

_"And then, it happened…Eonia revealed his triumph card…the antithesis of the White Moon…the equally, if not more, powerful Black Moon…"_

_"It destroyed the Satellite City Fargo in a single attack and forced us to retreat…the final battle was just around the corner…"_

_---_

_"A second counter-attack fleet was assembled around the White Moon itself… Prince Shiva and General Luft remained aboard the along with the Holy Mother Shatoyarn, and a small defense fleet…"_

_"The remaining ships were put under the command of Takuto, who was personally appointed by Prince Shiva with the support of Holy Mother Shatoyarn and General Luft…"_

_"Finally the Elisor was equipped with its secret weapon: the awesomely powerful Chrono Break Cannon…"_

_"The players were ready…the pieces placed…and the game was for everything-or-nothing…"_

_"We made our way thru the rebel army until we came within sight of the Black Moon…"_

_"At the height of the battle, its core released an energy draining wave that left us dead in space…but then, a miracle occurred…"_

_"With Takuto's encouragement, the Angel Frames came back to life as what seemed to be wings of light sprouted from them…"_

_"Even when the rebels launched a last, desperate attack on the Elisor…they were wiped out by the Angels…"_

_"And so…with a single shot of the Chrono Break Cannon, the menace disappeared…"_

_---_

_"I remember leaving the victory celebration quite early, after all, Takuto and the Angels were the heroes…not me…the smiles in the faces of people and the satisfaction of the fulfilled duty was enough reward…"_

_---_

_"Six months passed since then…once again we found ourselves patrolling the limits of the Creom System…"_

_"…Just like before, our destiny was changed by an enemy attack…and just like before, we were rescued by the Angels…"_

_"I remember that moment as if it was yesterday…she had long dark blue hair tied with a small red ribbon…her eyes were like two emeralds of a beautiful green color…I wonder if I was staring at her like a fool…?"_

_"Chitose Karasuma was her name. She was the newest member of the Angel Troupe and pilot of the Angel Frame 006. Codename: Sharp Shooter."_

_---_

_"Lezom Mer Zom, former first officer of Eonia, returned with the remnants of the rebel forces and a new ally, a woman called Nephelia, in order to continue the twisted ambitions of his deceased leader…"_

_---_

_"It's not that the other five girls weren't pretty, but she was different…"_

_"At first it was the classic question: do you like her? And a simple answer yes, nothing too deep…"_

_"But unlike the other Angels, it seemed like fate gave me the opportunity to know her better…we often met in the halls while doing our paperwork…she was very responsible…we walked together while talking a bit…mostly about missions and job…before taking different paths…"_

_"One day, I gathered courage and invited her to drink some tea at the Tea Lounge…I think it was that day when I realized myself…I liked the softness of her voice, the way she spoke, her eyes and mostly, her smile…"_

_"I treasured every second…but the truth was…that compared with the time she spent with the rest of the Angels, and most important, with Takuto, my time was pretty much like a sigh…"_

_"I remember she used to come to the Command Bridge to greet everybody…and I used to encourage her into having more faith in her teammates and Takuto, despite their quirks…"_

_"Now I wonder if I did the right thing…? Somebody would say "yes, you did" but…why I didn't said something like: "you can stay here a bit more if you want…"_

_"Goddamn coward…"_

_---_

_"Chitose was pretty much like a fish out of the water, for she worried a bit too much after little things…funny…I think that made her cuter…"_

_"Takuto thought that too…"_

_"And as she adjusted herself to his leadership…the frequency of our encounters lowered significantly…"_

_"I remember having applied a small tactic a couple of times…to send Takuto finishing his paperwork and then, go and see her…it only worked once…for the rest of the time she was with the other Angels…"_

_"Time passed and she finally adapted herself …even to the point of calling him Takuto-san…as for myself…I was still the vice-commander…but if she felt more comfortable that way…then…then, so be it…"_

_---_

_"When we though we had the advantage, Nephelia revealed herself as a representative of the Val Fasq race and after betraying Lezom, she revealed her secret weapon: the warship O-Gaub. With a seemingly impenetrable shield and weaponry matching an entire fleet, it was truly a behemoth…"_

_"To counter the menace, the army employed a seventh angel frame. Equipped with a shield nullification device, the Chrono Break Cannon and piloted by one of the Angels…"_

_"In order to ensure its performance, Takuto offered himself as a co-pilot…"_

_"Sometimes I curse my discipline…I wanted to scream…Let me go with her…!!"_

_"All my anger was concentrated on that battle. We made our way thru the enemy forces until we came in front of the O-Gaub…the unit seven came out and erased the behemoth with a single shot…"_

_---_

_"That same day Takuto told me that Chitose knocked him out before the launching because she was afraid that somebody could die…he managed to convince her and found out that her father was a high ranked officer who died in a mission…"_

_"Stupid fool! How couldn't you know something so trivial as that?!"_

_"Tch…who I am to make a critic…when I don't have the courage to protect the woman I love…not even to tell her my feelings…"_

_---_

_"Nephelia was only the tip of the iceberg, for the true enemies, the Val Fasq declared the war to us…"_

_---_

_"Takuto and Chitose grew closer…and my pain grew worse…was it the fact of see the lady of my heart with my best friend…? Yes…but not only that…Takuto wasn't sure about his feelings for her…"_

_"How could that be…? Why him…when I was completely sure about my feelings…"_

_"I did the only thing I knew…fulfill my duty…I tried to hide my pain with work…my emotions with a mask of ice…my suffering behind a fake smile…"_

_"Due to the increasing responsibilities, Takuto didn't had much free time…and to think that my extra effort gave him a small chance to be with her…life can be quite ironic sometimes…"_

_---_

_"We rescued two siblings from an enemy fleet. They said that they were inhabitants of the legendary EDEN…"_

_"I always tried to trust my instincts…even if I prioritized logic and common sense over them…but for some reason I didn't trust them…of course…it wasn't the same for Takuto…"_

_---_

_"I can't possibly imagine my expression back then…I only remember having been a couple of hours in the gym…training until exhaustion…finally…Takuto…admitted…he had fell in love with her…"_

_---_

_"Tragedy struck when during a battle, Chitose lost control over the Sharp Shooter which was hijacked by the enemy…there was only one way to prevent her from falling in the enemy's hand…"_

_"I remember how my stomach twisted…the cold shiver that went down my spine…my mouth went dry as her scream echoed in space…"_

_"We both ran…and I came first, praying to God…cursing the enemy, my friend, the other Angels, myself…everything…"_

_---_

_"Takuto only came out of the Sick Bay to eat or go to the toilet…the rest of the day, he remained there at her side…I could only came once in a while to ask about her condition…"_

_"Every night, when everyone went to sleep, I went into the room…he even slept there…the only thing I could do was to look at her and suffer…I didn't even had the courage to hold her hand…"_

_---_

_"In the blink of an eye my world was turned upside down. It was like if I was walking between the heaven and the hell at the same time…she said she loved me…I couldn't embrace her…even as much as I wanted to do that…under the bewildered eyes of the rest of the Angels…the only thing I could do was to step back…"_

_"Even now I wonder if that wasn't a second chance that fate gave me…I wonder if I should had take it…I didn't care about the army…or the Angel Troupe…or even my friend…"_

_"He said: "Please don't mind me and continue"…I had my back turned on him…luckily…for my fists and teeth were clenching in anger…how could you say something like that knowing I love her too?!!"_

_"But he didn't…he only wanted her to be happy…so I did the only thing I could do…"_

_"Don't be silly Takuto. She still loves you and you know it. Now be a man and go…"_

_"He wrote a love letter for her, but Chitose thought that he was only a messenger and I was the author…I never knew the contents of such letter…but as sure as my love was real that I felt exactly the same…"_

_---_

_"The war continued. Just as I though, one of the siblings we rescued, Wein, was a Val Fasq in disguise. He stole the unit seven and tried to use it against us only to be defeated…"_

_---_

_"To celebrate the liberation of EDEN, another dance party was conducted…heh…I wonder what they would say…if they find out I was there…watching them…and that I continued to watch…while every second took away a portion of my life…"_

_---_

_"The last battle came. Gern, the leader of the Val Fasq, not willing to accept his defeat with dignity, activated his secret weapon: the Chrono Quake Bomb. A device with immeasurable destructive power…"_

_"There was only one way to stop it. Takuto boarded the Sharp Shooter together with Chitose and they both charged the bomb…the Angel Feathers never shined so brightly…"_

_"Strangely enough, I wasn't afraid…No…I had complete faith in them, almost like if this was nothing more than a minor obstacle…"_

_"I would have given everything to be there with her…I would even had accept going alone if it was to protect her…"_

_"I don't remember for how long they disappeared…but when they came back…I was able to smile sincerely once again…for peace was finally restored…"_

_---_

_"I didn't went to the celebration ceremony…I said I was too tired…it was so strange…even when everything was safe again…even when we won…I felt like if I had lose…"_

_"They got married short after…I assisted to the wedding. The words of the priest and their kiss became the key that sealed my emotions forever…I left as soon as they finished…"_

_"Life is something complicated, curious, beautiful, sometimes nice but others cruel…I've become the commander of the Elisor…and she is now aboard with me…protecting the gate from the side of EDEN…so close yet infinitely far…the mocks of destiny…the bitter taste of irony…"_

_---_

_"I always remember the history of a musician called Orpheus. It is said that the music of his lyra was so beautiful that it charmed both humans and gods. He could tame wild beasts making them follow him, trees and rocks leaned and moved in order to listen to him and even rivers changed their courses."_

_"His virtues and wisdom were such that many women and nymphs wanted to marry him. One day, he met a charming but modest nymph called Eurydice. A beautiful lady and source of his inspiration. The true object of his happiness. They got married and their union was extremely happy but also extremely short."_

_"On their wedding day, Eurydice was bitten by a poisonous snake and died. Completely draught in sorrow but not willing to give up, Orpheus descended into the Underworld and by his music softened the hearts of Hades and Persephone, who agreed to allow Eurydice to return with him to earth on one condition: he should walk in front of her and not look back until he had reached the upper world…"_

_"Just when they were about to came out, the steps of her loved one disappeared from his ears. What if the Gods broke their promise? The anxiety was such that he looked back only too see Eurydice smiling for a moment and then disappearing the next…"_

_"It is said that Orpheus wanders around the Underworld aimlessly playing his lyra but that nobody listens to him anymore..."_

_"I will continue to play…even when nobody listens to me anymore…"_

* * *

**THE END**


End file.
